About the 2012 Summer Update

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

We are upgrading our machines to the latest version of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, 10.7 Lion.  As with any major update, there will be some changes that you'll need to be aware of.

Software Compatibility

Some older software will no longer be compatible.  We will do our best to identify those titles, but if there is something you have been using for a while, you can check compatibility easily:

1. Find a computer that has the application installed.
2. On that computer, locate the application.  (It should be in the Applications folder).
3. Click the application's icon.
4. From the File menu, select "Get Info...".
5. In the window that appears, look for "Kind:"If you see "Application (PowerPC)", the application will not work with 10.7.  If you see "Application (Intel)" or "Application (Universal)", you should be fine.

If you discover that an application you rely on is not going to be compatible, let us know as soon as possible.

User Interface Changes

While Apple touts a new version in terms of all the wonderful improvements it brings, there will occasionally be places where some seemingly insignificant feature will change.  (You can read Apple's description of what's new here, but keep in mind that some features may not apply to our computers.)

One of the biggest changes is that they changed the default scrolling behavior of windows.  Instead of having the window contents go up when you scroll down, the content goes down.  This is the way swipes work on an iPhone or iPad.  Fortunately, you can change this behavior back to the old way by following these instructions.

Microsoft Office 2011

You'll also be getting the latest version of Microsoft Office.  There are some cosmetic differences, as with any new versions.  Look for more info later.

Next Steps

Now that you've read the details, you can go ahead and read how to perform the update.